Tshabangu Faction Disowns Purported Recalls of Coltart and Others as Unauthorised

Harare — Letters purporting to recall Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart and four other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) public representatives have been rejected by the faction led by self-styled Citizen Coalition for Change interim Secretary-General, Senator Sengezo Tshabangu, who described them as unauthorised and lacking any basis.

The correspondence, dated 7 October 2026 and reportedly received by authorities around 9 October, was addressed to National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda, Senate President Mabel Chinomona and Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe.

The letters claimed that Coltart, Ward 4 Councillor and Bulawayo Mayor, Bulawayo Central Member of Parliament (MP) Surrender Kapoikilu, Mbizo MP Corban Madzivanyika, Epworth North MP Togarepi Zivai Mhetu, as well as Bulawayo Province Senator Ivumile Kucaca Phulu had ceased to be members of the CCC.

They invoked Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution, which allows seats to be declared vacant when elected representatives no longer belong to the party under which they were elected.

The letters were issued under the name of Mbuso Siso, who claims to be the party’s interim Treasurer-General.

Senator Tshabangu, recognised by courts as the CCC’s de facto leader and serving as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, distanced himself from the letters.

He stated that the documents did not originate from the party and dismissed them as “not true,” indicating a formal statement would follow.

CCC Chief Whip, Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa, aligned with Tshabangu, labelling the letters “fake.”

In an official response, interim CCC national spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo, said the purported recalls had “no factual, political, or legal basis” and did not represent the position of the Citizens Coalition for Change.

The faction said preliminary internal investigations had identified individuals behind the correspondence, accusing them of using the threat of recalls as a tool of extortion and coercion to force allegiance from elected officials, or failing that, to destabilise the party through rumour-mongering and division.

The Tshabangu faction said legal counsel has been briefed, with the faction warning that the actions may amount to contempt of court.

Mlilo reassured the named representatives and the public that disciplined public office-holders should continue discharging their constitutional duties and that their tenure remains secure until at least 2030.

The episode revives persistent fractures within the main opposition party, CCC.

Senator Tshabangu rose to prominence after the August 2023 elections by claiming the role of interim Secretary-General and initiating waves of recalls of MPs, Senators and Councillors, arguing they had ceased to belong to the party.

Courts and Parliament largely upheld his authority in key challenges, significantly reducing the opposition’s strength in the National Assembly and triggering by-elections that benefited the ruling ZANU-PF.

Earlier recalls were justified by Tshabangu’s camp partly on grounds of correcting alleged candidate impositions, particularly involving non-local candidates in Matabeleland constituencies.

Siso has a complex history with Tshabangu. Once closely associated with him and listed in early party communications as interim Treasurer-General, Siso later challenged his own removal by Tshabangu in the Bulawayo High Court in April 2026, describing the action as unlawful. He subsequently withdrew the application.

Coltart’s position has drawn particular attention. The veteran politician and human rights lawyer has faced prior speculation about possible removal in connection with disputes over a proposed waste-management partnership involving Geo Pomona at the Richmond Landfill, Ngozi Mine site.

In September 2026, Tshabangu publicly suggested Coltart could face recall if he continued to resist government directives on the matter.

Coltart and the council maintained they were reviewing a draft memorandum of understanding without having committed to it.

Earlier in June 2026, Tshabangu had explicitly denied any plot to oust Coltart, noting legal limits under the Urban Councils Act.

The Tshabangu-aligned leadership has framed its current focus as party reconstruction, institutional renewal and structural consolidation rather than further recalls.